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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27864797">Heart of Kyber</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFireWolves/pseuds/BlueFireWolves'>BlueFireWolves</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, F/F, F/M, Force is meddling with time, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, The Jedi get a reality check, The Kaiser, Time Travel, the clones deserve better</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:01:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,728</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27864797</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFireWolves/pseuds/BlueFireWolves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a dark time for the galaxy. The shadow of the Empire still stands firm as it reaches to crush anything involved with the Rebellion after the destruction of the Death Star. But unknown to the Empire the Force has decided to take matters into its own hands. It decides that it will send two unlikely people back in time to the beginning of the Clone Wars to stop this from ever happening. The only problem? To people who have a hard time trusting others and they don’t know much about the War. Will they be able to overcome the odds and stop Order 66 from ever happening, to stop Palpatine and save the Jedi, the republic and ultimately the galaxy?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, OC &amp; Ahsoka Tano, OC &amp; CC-2224| Cody, OC &amp; CT-1868|Flux, OC &amp; CT-7567| Rex, OC/OC, OC’s are friends with lots of Clones, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The shackles around her legs and wrists jingled as she walked down the cold corridors of an Imperial Star Destroyer. The red lights of the detention block softly glowing around her as she was marched to back to an interrogation room. Her eyes glanced around her as she kept her head ducked down. She had to get out of here, she wasn’t sure she would make it through anymore torture. </p>
<p>She knew that her ship was hiding on the planet below the Star Destroyer. That was the problem. She wasn’t in the atmosphere. Her limp was real and her back screamed in agony but she would see this done. </p>
<p>She had been keeping track of where they had been taking her and where they had been passing by. So she waited. She waited until the were just down the hall from an equipment room. She then made her move. </p>
<p>She fake stumbled into one of the stormtroopers causing him to stumble. She then spun around and knocked the other stormtrooper’s leg out from underneath him sending him crashing to the ground with a thud. Acting quick she turned around and wrapped her chained wrists around the others neck before pulling as hard as she could. The sound of the troopers neck breaking was heard and she stopped. She let him fall backwards and she quickly moved out of the way. She snatched his blaster from where the stormtrooper had dropped it. She then hit then slammed the butt of the blaster into the others helmet knocking him out.</p>
<p>She quickly grabbed the keys from the belt of the trooper whose neck she had broken. She immediately set herself free of her cuffs before grabbing the blaster and limping her way down the hall. </p>
<p>She paused in front of a door and opened it.  Limping inside she realized that it wasn’t an equipment room but an armory. She grinned to herself as she as spotted her gear in a corner. She dashed over to it and carefully put on her armor. It was a bunch of old armor but it was hers. She figured from the one time she broke into Kamino looking for anything and everything that it wouldn’t hurt to put some of the old Phase 2 clone trooper armor to use. She had the greaves, gauntlets and a helmet with a range finder on it. The other pieces were made out the extra chest plate that ARC troopers had. She had heavily modified them. Then ran up from her abdomen in separate pieces in the shape of abs before running up to a total of four chest plates. It allowed her protection while not hindering her movement, something that she greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>She put her helmet on before searching for her pack. It didn’t take her long. It was laying on top of some crates. She quickly check the false bottom in it. If they had found that and what was hidden in it, she would have been tortured to death for sure. If not out right executed. She opened it and sighed in relief. It was still there. </p>
<p>Shutting the hidden compartment she slung the bag over her shoulder. She paused before grabbing a few more ammo clips and a couple more of the E-11 blasters. She placed all of them inside her pack before deciding it would be easier on her wounds to just go down the halls to the hanger. She wasn’t sure how bad they were but she did know that they were bad.</p>
<p>She began to creep back out of the armory and into the halls of the Star Destroyer. Her ship was on the planet surface and her ever loyal Astromech with it. She knew that her Co-Pilot was on board. She did know how she knew but she just did. She ran down the halls heading towards the hanger when she heard voices behind her. She glanced behind her just as a patrol came around the corner. </p>
<p>No one moved. </p>
<p>She reacted first. </p>
<p>She opened fire on them with her stolen blaster, killing two of the stormtroopers and got the third before he could get into cover. She didn’t have time fight this out. She had to get to the hanger before they could lock down the ship. </p>
<p>So she sprinted around the corner and down the corridor. She ran as fast as she could through the ship. She reached the door leading to the hanger and opened it. As soon as it opened enough she ran through it just as the alarms began to blare. She spotted troopers in the hangar turn towards her in surprise just as she opened fire on them making them scatter for cover. But not before she killed at least five of them. She ran towards a shuttle sitting in the hanger. She continued to fire on the stormtroopers as made her way up the ramp. She turned around with our warning and blasted the door controls on the door that she came through before shooting at the troopers. She spotted a wounded stormtrooper on the ground and killed him before turning her aim back onto the troopers who had paused at what she had done. She killed them and shut the ramp of the shuttle before running up to the cockpit of the shuttle.</p>
<p>She set to starting it up and immediately flew it out of the hanger just as the blast door started to come down. She sighed in relief as she focused on flying down to the planet surface. </p>
<p>The shuttle suddenly rocked violently from a direct hit by the Star Destroyer. “Blast it!” She cursed as she scrambled to raise the shields on the shuttle. It rocked again as another hit slammed into it. This time alarms began to blare inside the shuttle as it began lose its shields. She cursed again and pushed the engines to their limits.</p>
<p>She ducked and weaved as she went before entering the atmosphere. It didn’t take her long for her to fly to her ship and she landed 300 yards short of her ship. She exited the shuttle and ran to her ship as her wounds protested her movements.</p>
<p>The ramp on her ship opened as a single astromech came rolling down it. “Get back on the ship Fate!” She yelled at her droid. The droid turned around and zoomed back up the ship as she darted up the ramp of it. She sprinted up the stairs and into the cockpit before jumping into the Captain chair. </p>
<p>She immediately turned on the ship’s engines and shut the ramp. The ship came to life and the engines gave their familiar hum. She wasted no time in taking off and speeding off into space. </p>
<p>The door leading into the cockpit opened and revealed her co-pilot. A Togruta by the name of Zosa Nakeen. </p>
<p>“Get on the top turret!” </p>
<p>Zosa took off out of the cockpit and shot up the ladder that led to the retractable turret of top of the ship. Her ice blue eyes watched as a squadron of TIE fighters came screaming towards them with a Star Destroyer looming behind them. “So is that what you’ve been up to for the past 10 rotations? Blowing up Imperials?”</p>
<p>“Shut up and blast them!” Came the annoyed shout from the bridge. Zosa just huffed and shot down two of the TIE’s. The ship gave a roll before making a sharp turn. Zosa felt the ship the decelerate as it leveled out. She braced herself as the ship snapped in the other direction again as its engines slowed before they suddenly hit max power. Zosa relaxed as the she watched the laser cannons in the nose rip apart the remaining TIE fighters. Zosa sighed as she exited the turret and made sure it was retracted. She made her way back onto the bridge of the ship. She watched through the window as stars blurred together and the ship entered hyperspace.</p>
<p>Zosa’s attention turned to the female human sitting in the pilot’s chair. She watched as she pulled off her helmet to reveal her auburn hair. Zosa couldn’t hold back to startled gasp that left her lips. Two mismatched eyes turned towards her. The left ice blue eye had a bruise underneath it while the right cyan eye was fine. Zosa continued her observation as spotted a black bruise on her right cheek and a busted lip. </p>
<p>The pilot got up only to begin to collapse with a pained groan as the adrenaline wore off. “Layla!” Was the last thing she heard as her world spun and the last thing she saw was the concerned face of her girlfriend before she passed out.</p>
<p>Zosa panicked as she caught Layla before she hit the floor. She pulled her into her arms and she felt something wet when her hand went onto Layla’s back. She pulled one of her hands back and it was covered in blood when she looked at it. Her hand was covered in Layla’s blood. She scooped her into her arms and ran to the med bay in the ship. She set to work peeling off the bloodied clothing and cleaning any wound she came across before turning her attention to the wounds on Layla’s back. She knew what had cause those. She had seen them before, not only on Layla but on others before she meet her. She knew Layla had been whipped at some point before but Layla hated talking about her past and normally refused to do so. </p>
<p>She knew that Layla would be alright but that didn’t mean it scared her. She placed a kiss on her forehead before heading to the bridge.</p>
<p>She sighed as she sat down in the co-pilots seat.                                                                   </p>
<p>                   <br/><br/>                   | . . . \ . . . / . . . |</p>
<p><br/>The hot escape and subsequent recovery of Layla had happened just a little over a month and a half ago. Where the whip wounds were had now scarred over and Layla was back at a hundred percent. </p>
<p>Layla was now in her pilot’s chair as the nav computer took them towards a Jedi temple on the planet Saren. It had come to her in a dream to head to the forest and marsh planet deep in the Outer Rim. She had heard about the Force and didn’t know much about it. But she did know that the Jedi may not have been myth but were definitely extinct. The one holocron she did have contained instructions on how to do every single lightsaber style.</p>
<p>Layla suspected that the Force also had something to do with the feeling her Zosa shared. It didn’t necessarily hurt to be away from each other but it was uncomfortable. She was drawn out of her thoughts as Zosa kissed her on the cheek before sitting down in the co-pilots seat.</p>
<p>Layla smiled at Zosa as she they pulled out of hyperspace. “Down there somewhere is whatever the Force wants us to find.” </p>
<p>“And hopefully no Imperials.” Zosa grumbled. </p>
<p>“Don’t jinx us Zo.” Layla said as she flew the ship down to the surface. She followed her feelings and they arrived rather quickly to the abandoned temple. She landed the ship close by before grabbing her gear and her blaster. She walked down the ramp after it opened. “Shut the ramp once I get off Zo.” </p>
<p>“Will do but be careful.” </p>
<p>‘<em>Come back to me</em>’</p>
<p>’<em>Always</em>.’</p>
<p>Layla simply winked at her before putting on her helmet. She then made her way into the dilapidated temple. The walls were mostly intact but the inside was covered in dust. Enough to coat everything in a thick layer of dust.</p>
<p>She stopped and listened. Something whispered to her to go down the hall on her left. So she did. <br/><br/>She made her way down the hall til the feeling stopped. By the time that had happened the hall had turned into a cave. She looked around and saw nothing but a stranger rock at her feet. <br/><br/>A rock with a single rune on it. </p>
<p>She picked it up and her ears began to ring as her vision whirled before fading to white.                                        </p>
<p> </p>
<p>                    | . . . \ . . . / . . . |</p>
<p>Zosa’s eyes widened as the entire ship began to glow white until she could see nothing but white as everything outside the ship blurred together. Somehow she knew that whatever Layla had done inside that temple had caused this.                                      </p>
<p> </p>
<p>                    | . . . \ . . . / . . . |</p>
<p>The battle raged hot around them as they pushed the droids back. Blue and red blaster bolts streaked across the battlefield. The clones hitting droids with precision and accuracy while the droids simply fired with a wide pattern. They were using more of a volley tactic then actual well aimed shots. In between to droids and the clones were two blazing blue lightsabers, dancing among the bolts.<br/><br/>CT-1868 or more commonly known by her name Flux was further away from the frontlines as the battle began to die down. She began to realize that the guys at the front of the charge hadn’t realized a unit of battle droids had gotten separated and was now heading towards them. She had stayed behind to help Kix with the wounded when she had spotted them. She glanced around her and realized the droids far outnumbered them here. “Kix, Droids!” She shouted at the medic whose head snapped up the moment those words left her mouth. “DROIDS!” She shouted as loud as she could hoping that others had heard her. She then opened fire on the droids.</p>
<p>Flux fired shot after shot after shot at the droids but they just kept coming. The situation was getting worse when a bolt slammed into her causing her to yelp in pain. It penetrated the armor but fortunately for her it wasn’t lethal. But it did knock her off her feet.</p>
<p>”Flux!”</p>
<p>”Im fine!” She shouted as she shot up and shot another droid using one hand. The other was cradling her abdomen were the shot had hit. That was when the situation went from bad to both bad and strange.</p>
<p>There was a flash of light causing both Clones and droids to stop and look. There was a single figure. What confused Flux more than the way the stranger arrived was the way they were dressed. They were wearing an ARC trooper helmet but had what was clearly clone armor on their forearms and had the same kind of greaves. They were wearing torso armor that was dark grey. It ran up from their abdomen up to the just below their collar bone but all in separate pieces. The armor was painted an ash gray with soft ice blue markings all over it. </p>
<p>The ice blue ran along the gauntlets in a soft spiral and the same on the boots. On the helmet it ran up over the crest in three lines meeting on the top of the helmet for a subtle line than ran down to the bottom of the helmet before following the bottom of the helmet. From there it ran just under the visor and followed it down to the bottom in a single line after intersecting each other.  </p>
<p>The droids snapped out of there daze before firing on the newcomer who swore loudly and ducked behind a piece of rubble just a couple of feet from flux. She could hear the figure grumbling about droids and stormtroopers. She wondered what stormtroopers were before pooping out of cover to destroy a few more droids with well placed shots.  </p>
<p>What Flux hadn’t been expecting was for the stranger to notice the wound. She suddenly found herself shoved back  into cover as they tore into the droids. “Stay down!” They shouted at her over the noise. </p>
<p>Kix was watching the whole thing with complete bewilderment. He watched the stranger who most likely wasn’t a clone but had their armor fight the droids with them. He watched as they shoved Flux back into cover and shouted at them to stay down. His eyes widened as Flux once again stood beck up to fire on the droids. The stranger took them down with lethal precision and accuracy. The droids kept coming though.  </p>
<p>There was a loud swear as another trooper went down. Kix knew that he was dead before he even hit the ground. He watched as they grabbed a blaster of a deceased clone before fiddling with it. He realized that they were overloading it. Then he watched as they threw it at the center of the droids. It hit one and exploded sending droid parts and shrapnel all over the place.  </p>
<p>The figure shot up and darted forwards toward a wounded clone that was about to be killed. He watched as they landed shot after shot on droid after droid. They put away the rifle and switched to a carbine that could be used with one or two hands. They began to pull the trooper back to their lines before going back again and again. A total of twelve times this stranger did this. And each time they came back with another wounded trooper. </p>
<p>Kix got to work immediately on the wounded around them but kept an eye on the stranger as they continued to fight off the droids with Flux.</p>
<p>Flux watched the stranger dodge a bolt and kill the droid who fired it. But her eyes widened when they then dodged a bolt that was going to hit them with the same ease that the Jedi do as they shot the droid in a fraction of a second. If she had blinked all she would have seen was the aftermath of what had just happened.  </p>
<p>The droids were now beginning to thin out after a few minutes of heated combat. The last of the droids were picked off by the stranger and Flux.  </p>
<p>Flux finally got a better look at the strangers build and realized that they weren’t that tall. She was considered short for a clone trooper at 5,10 and yet this stranger was a couple of inches shorter than her. She was brought out of her musings by a voice that she didn’t know. </p>
<p>“Alright who was the one that activated the droids?” When no one answered them they gave an irritated huff. “Typical Imperials. Bunch of nerf herdering idiots.”</p>
<p>Flux watched them stomp off to a nearby piece of rubble before fiddling with their blaster. She got up with a hand still over her abdomen were the bolt had hit her. She took a glance at her hand and saw that it had blood on it. She sighed but there were men who needed Kix more than her at the moment. Though that didn’t stop Kix from staring at her for a few seconds before going back to the trooper he was helping.  </p>
<p>She decided to contact her Captain about the situation. She pressed a button on her wrist com. </p>
<p>“<em>Captain Rex here.</em>” </p>
<p>”Sir this is Flux. We have a bit of situation that we could use your and generals help with over here.” </p>
<p>”<em>Give me a sitrep</em>.” </p>
<p>”With all do respect Sir, this easier to explain face to-“ She stopped speaking as she heard something. Something like clanking. If the way the others froze were to go by they had heard it too. “Sir get here quick, I don’t-“</p>
<p>”Second wave incoming! They’re super battle droids!” </p>
<p>”<em>Trooper!</em>” </p>
<p>”Marking position! Gotta go!” She shouted into her wrist com over the blaster fire. She turned around and got back to the small cluster of rubble they had been using to defend against the droids the first time. Fortunately it wasn’t a lot of the B2 super battle droids but unfortunately they were B2’s. </p>
<p>They put up a fight but the number of droids were beginning to overwhelm their small number.  </p>
<p>A pained cry sounded off to her right and she turned just in time to see a brother fall. A burning hole in his chest plate. She would mourn later. The droids were finally beginning to thin out a few moments later. There had been about 40 Super Battle droids but now there was only ten. Flux watched the stranger once again grab a wounded trooper and drag them into cover as they shot a B2 in the face plate making it fall to the ground in a shower of sparks. </p>
<p>The last of the droids fell to Flux with a well placed shot and the battle ended. Together they sighed with collective relief. Before Flux could even open her mouth to ask the stranger their name the sound of boots echoed as the generals, Rex and Cody came running around a nearby corner. Flux watched as the stranger leaned up against the rubble they had been using for cover. </p>
<p>Kix made his way over to Flux and began to patch up her wound. He cleaned it quickly before putting a bacta patch on it. Flux tended to hide her gender from others until she trusted them but Kix was one of the few who knew that about her. </p>
<p>It was just a few seconds after Flux had gotten her armor back on is when the generals, Rex and Cody along with their men came running around the corner. They could see the aftermath of a desperate defense the wounded and dead lying about with Kix who was now joined by Coric as the went from injured to injured. Treating their wounds and sometime giving last rites as well. </p>
<p>“I see you got it handled.” Rex said as he walked towards Flux.  </p>
<p>“If there had been more of them Sir, you would either be joining a fire fight or marking us among the dead.” Flux told him. “Though they helped a lot. That’s why we have this many survivors.”  </p>
<p>“Where’s the Sarge?”  </p>
<p>“Dead sir. Droids got him in the first wave. They caught us by surprise.” Flux told him. Her entire squad was gone. She was the only one alive.</p>
<p>”Rest we’ll be heading back to the base later for a night op.” Rex told her. Flux only nodded in response.</p>
<p>”And who is your friend over there?” General Kenobi asked. </p>
<p>“Um, that’s the situation Sir.” Flux glanced at Kix before rubbing the back of their neck. “We don’t know.”</p>
<p>”What do you mean you don’t know?” General Skywalker asked as he crossed his arms. </p>
<p>”They just appeared in a flash of light Sir. Kix saw it too.” She added quickly.  </p>
<p>“Anakin they could be the disturbance we sensed earlier.” Obi-Wan Kenobi said before turning to the stranger. “And who might you be?” He asked  Layla watched as them and listened to the Force whispering into her ear. It wanted her to trust them, to <em>change</em>. But change <em>what</em>?  </p>
<p>Another whisper. <em>The War, the Jedi. Change.</em> </p>
<p>Suddenly it hit her. It wanted her to change to outcome of the Clone War. She realized with alarm that she now had no one but amused hint from the Force judging her about her wrist com had her doubting it just a little. She would check later. She pulled off her helmet and stared the men in the eyes as she said “My name is Layla Orsord and apparently I’m out of time. Literally. The force has sent back in time.” She watched as the two men’s eyebrows rose in front of her.  </p>
<p>Anakin and Obi-Wan both shared a look. They could sense no lie in her words and the Force around her sang with truth. Her face betrayed nothing as she put her helmet under her arm. It was Obi-Wan who spoke first. “Well thank you for helping our men with the droids. Perhaps we should speak more about this at our base.”  </p>
<p>Layla only nodded before putting back on her helmet. She then hit a button on her wrist com and to her surprise the voice she was terrified on not being able to reach came through. </p>
<p>“<em>Where the hell are you Orsord?! Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?! Just where are we even?</em>”  </p>
<p>“Well, I’m going to mark my position for you but this looks like Christophsis. If your here, does that mean you still have the Kaiser?” </p>
<p>“<em>Yes I still have the Kaiser, I’m still on it!</em>”  </p>
<p>Layla let out a breath of relief. “Good, that’s good. Everything will be explained later. I just need you to fly here and land. I promise I will explain it the best I can.” </p>
<p>There was a sigh on the other end. “<em>Fine but you had better explain whatever is going on.</em>” That was followed by the sound of the com being hung up. Layla turned towards the two men and asked them their names.</p>
<p>“I’m Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is Commander Cody of the 212th.” He said as he pointed to himself then the man in armor next to him.  </p>
<p>“And I’m Anakin Skywalker and this is Captain Rex of the 501st.” The man with a scar on his right eye said. </p>
<p>Layla’s mind went blank. Oh she was in more a situation than she thought. They were Jedi. But the Jedi had died out, betrayed by the very Republic they helped and then wiped out of existence. </p>
<p>She decided they would add this to the inevitable talk was coming. “I can help transport your wounded back your base. I just need some one to guide me there once they are all on board. Not fly. No one fly’s my ship but me, fate or Zosa.” </p>
<p>“I will do it. They are my men so I will go with them.” Anakin told her.</p>
<p>That was when the sound of a ship came through and her ship, her home came over head before touching down in a clearing large enough for the heavily modified freighter. It was an odd ship. One of a kind. The hull was similar to that of a J type 327 but had clear Corellian engineering involved. The engines were from sting with two a large outboard engine on each side of the hull at the rear. The rest of the engines were in between them with a total of four more sublight engines. The inboard sublight engines were stacked diagonally. In the center stacked vertically was two hyperdrive engines, taken from a Corellian corvette. The ships side cover were shut giving it a sleek and deadly appearance. That was because of the chin turret which had a cannon taken from an AT-TE in the center of it, the barrel extended a bit to give it more of punch. On each side of it was a single light cannon, each one also had an extended barrel. On the bottom of the nose were two proton torpedo tubes and a single heavy laser cannon between the torpedo tubes. It sat just ahead of it. The only thing hinting that they were there were the hole were they fired from. The main ramp on the ash grey and black ship lowered down.</p>
<p>A single orange and ice blue Astromech came rolling down the ramp with a Togruta. The Togruta had orange skin with light blue striped lekku and montrals. On each cheek were two white curving stripes as the curved  up toward her forehead lazily. On her forehead starting right above the inside of her eyes were two curving lines as the went up to her head piece. And in the center of her forehead were two diamonds. “What is going on Layla?”</p>
<p>”Um the Force sent us back to the Clone Wars era? And I’ll tell you more in private real quick.” Zosa gave a frustrated growl but went back up the ramp with Layla following her.</p>
<p>Once they were on board Layla followed Zosa into their shared room, the Captains quarter’s. As soon as the door shut Zosa rounded on her with her eyes blazing. “What were you thinking?! I told you to be careful! Then all of sudden we both are on a planet no where near Saren!” Zosa shouted. She had tears pricking her eyes and Layla felt guilt naw at her gut.</p>
<p>”I’m sorry Zosa. I didn’t know it would do that when I picked it up but I think the Force sent us back in time. I mean they said their name’s were ObI-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. You know the famous Jedi Generals.”</p>
<p>”If your sure, I mean your instincts and listening to the Force has never lead you or us wrong. But for the record I don’t like this.”</p>
<p>”I don’t like either Zo, but if we can stop the Empire from ever happening. Then I think it’s worth it.”</p>
<p>”But how do you stop something from happening when you have no idea what went wrong?” </p>
<p>“That is the problem isn’t? We know the Jedi fell right? Well that takes planning and lots of work. There has to be some sort of trail we can follow. Someone big had to be pulling the strings. Like one of those dark Jedi.”</p>
<p>”We will work on this but we have to be careful. We don’t know who we can trust.” </p>
<p>“By the way, we will be using our ship to transport their wounded back to their base so they can be treated. It’s faster and can hold more people. Skywalker also wants to ride with us. I think they trust us about as much as we trust them.”</p>
<p>Zosa stared at her before sighing. Layla may not remember her native language, or the ways of her people. But behind all those walls was her golden heart. </p>
<p>Zosa walked up and gently lifted the helmet off the smaller girl before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. “I love you Layla and I’m sorry. I panicked didn’t know where you were and you wouldn’t answer your com. I was scared. Scared that I had lost you.” Zosa’s voice cracked at the end.</p>
<p>”I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Zosa. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I will always come back to you, this ship maybe mine and where I have lived for years but you are what makes it home.” She said as she gave Zosa a soft kiss as she embraced her. “I will come back to you, always.”</p>
<p>They stayed in each other’s arms for a few more seconds neither one wanting to let go. They sighed and separated. Layla took her helmet from Zosa before going out to where the wounded were while Zosa opened the cargo bay. Including the air drop cargo bay doors in the aft of the ship. Retracting the interior deck to half of its length before lowering would allow quicker loading of wounded troopers. Zosa exited the ship through one of two side door with a light cannon mount which was current stowed away. The light cannon were only out into their firing position if the actually needed them for covering an entry to the ship with actually landing. The door was wide enough for three clones to fit through with a little space between them.</p>
<p>Kix along with some of the 501st who weren’t wounded helped carry them into the ship. Once the air drop bay was half full Zosa shut the doors and extended the floor back to its original position. By the time it was full of wounded ranging from stretchers to those who could walk but with assistance it had 35 troopers in it. The other cargo bay had  another 20 in it.</p>
<p>Zosa made her way up to the bridge and began powering on the ship while leaving the engines off. </p>
<p>Layla looked at her droid and Anakin and gestured for him to follow her. She pointed as her droid who rolled up the main ramp in front of them. “That’s R8-F8 or as Zo and I call him Fate.”</p>
<p>Anakin looked around as they made their way to the bridge where Zosa was already waiting for them. “Everything is on except the engines. Save that one for you.” Zosa told them as they entered the bridge. Layla pulled off her helmet as she sat down in the pilots seat. </p>
<p>“Thanks Zo. I’ll make it up to you.”</p>
<p>“Just give me a kiss.”  </p>
<p>Layla rolled her eyes but got up from her seat and gave her one anyway with a fond smile. Once she sat down again she powered up the engines. “All right er? Just what do I call you?” Layla asked as she looked at Anakin. </p>
<p>“Anakin is fine” he said with a wave of his hand. </p>
<p>“Alright Anakin just where is this base at?”. She gently pulled the ship up and began to head towards the base with Anakin’s instructions. </p>
<p>She saw an area where she could land close to the base while no in it. So she out the Kaiser down in that spot and immediately lowered the ramp as she shut down the ship’s systems. The clones were taken to the medbay and Layla with Zosa right behind her followed Anakin who meet up with Obi-Wan to a conference room. </p>
<p>“Normally I would suggest alerting the council to something like this but we don’t have time as we need to do this fast so we can prepare for the next mission in several hours.” Obi-Wan told them. </p>
<p>“Why would the Force send you back in time? Is it that bad for the Republic?” Anakin asked them. </p>
<p>Zosa and Layla shared a look together. Layla set her helmet down on the holotable with a grimace. She looked the two Jedi in the eyes before she spoke.</p>
<p>“There is no Republic. Just the Empire.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Talks and rats</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Not every thing is as it seems and the Jedi get a harsh warning about the future.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“There is no Republic. Just the Empire.”</p><p>The Force around her exploded with shock, confusion and fear made her take a step back from the onslaught. She watched the two men share a look before looking back at her. “What happened to the Republic?” Obi-Wan asked her. <br/><br/></p><p>Layla rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m not really sure. I was born after the fall of the Republic. But I know that form what I could dig up that the Republic had been reorganized into a Galactic Empire. Palpatine was the one who made the change and became Emperor Palpatine.”</p><p>“Palpatine?!” Anakin nearly shouted. He was his friend.</p><p>“Yes Palpatine.” Layla leveled him with an unimpressed look. “Anyway he’s at the head of the problem. The Empire controls everything. They control the economy. Anyone who speaks out against them disappears. You can simply say you remember what it was like before the Empire took over and they can throw you in prison for “treason”. I’ve seen them arrest people and throw them in prison for simply not selling them their farm. Slavery is common place in the galaxy that the Empire encourages.” She stood there stone faced as she let them digest what she said.</p><p>“What about the Jedi? Would we have stopped this or at least fought against it?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>Zosa shook her head. “No. There are no Jedi. The Empire wiped them out and hunts down force sensitives. You even having a lightsaber will Mark you for death. No capture. Just death.”</p><p>“Unless you have a rebel cell or they think you could lead them to more Jedi. Then you are tortured until they either can’t get anything or until they get what they want. Either way still ends in execution. Mostly likely a public one.” Layla added.  <br/><br/></p><p>Their shock echoed in the force around them. “The Jedi are, are gone?” Obi-Wan was astonished. How could the Jedi be gone? Yet when he and Anakin shared a look he knew that he too could once again sense nothing but truth coming from her.</p><p>“Yes, they fell with the Republic. If it weren’t for the Holocrons and temples I wouldn’t have believed they had ever even existed.”</p><p>“What do you mean by Holocrons and temples? We’re they not still in the Jedi temple on Coruscant?”</p><p>Layla shook her head. “No. They weren’t. What little Jedi did survive either kept them or hid them. If we are going to stop this from happening I’d rather not get this out to anyone but those we trust the most.” She then turned back to Zosa. “Looks like we have or work cut out for us.”</p><p>“Can’t be worse than the Varin job.” Zosa said with a shrug causing Layla to groan and rub her temples just thinking about it.</p><p>“Don’t jinx it Zo.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Excuse us.” Obi-Wan said as he and Anakin left the room. Most likely to contact whoever was in control of the Jedi Order. </p><p>“When you need us, we’ll be at my ship.” Layla said as she and Zo walked back to the Kaiser. <br/><br/></p><p>They made their way up the ramp of the ship before going to the common room not far from their shared room. “What do you think they’re talking about?” Zosa asked as she went to kitchen area not far from the table wear Layla had sat down.</p><p>“Probably to whoever is in charge along with what to do with us. They’ll want to keep an eye on us that’s for sure.” Layla groaned as she massaged her temples. She looked over at Zosa as she busied herself around the kitchen. Layla knew that she wasn’t a bad cook but she was definitely limited. Zosa on the other hand could put career chefs to shame with her cooking. <br/><br/></p><p>After a few minutes Zosa came to the table with a couple of grilled meat sandwiches for them. “I can’t say I would blame them if they did.” She pushed a plate in front of Layla. “I mean if we are going to try to stop the Empire we are going to need all the help we can get. That one old clone that was always with the rebels seemed to think highly of those two.”</p><p>“Didn’t he say something about a chip?”</p><p>“Now that you mention he did say something about it once.”</p><p>“We need to find a discreet way to look into that.” Layla voiced as she took another bite of sandwich. Zosa hummed in agreement. <br/><br/></p><p>                    | . . . \ . . . / . . . |</p><p>Obi-Wan walked out of the room with Anakin right behind him, deep in thought. He didn’t understand how the Jedi or the Republic could simply fall. <br/><br/></p><p>Anakin was confused and concerned. Everything he knew about Palpatine told him that the man would have never make or lead an Empire. One that was evil. One that dealt in slavery. His fists clenched at just the thought of a government encouraging it. The Force rang with truth in their words. He was missing something big about his supposed friend. His eyes widened as he realized he had been following and listening to the Chancellor blindly. He could always sense some darkness coming from in or around the Chancellor’s office and the Chancellor himself. He decided right then and there that he would stop following Palpatine. “What are you thinking Master?” Anakin finally asked.</p><p>“Well we’ll have to constant the council about this but I think we should keep an eye on them. Take them with us as well as help them. Did you notice anything odd about Layla?”</p><p>“Now that you mention it she had an unusually dim force signature. Almost like she was hiding it.” He said as his eyes widened. “She’s force sensitive.” It wasn’t a question but the other question was what about Zosa. Was she Force sensitive too?</p><p>Obi-Wan pulled out his holocaster and made contact with the council that was still in the temple. It didn’t take long for them to make contact. “Masters.” Obi-Wan greeted.</p><p>“I take it that this has something to do with the disturbance in the Force from earlier?” </p><p>“Yes. It seems it was two individuals who were from the future, and before you question it we could sense no lie coming from them. They had some, disturbing things to tell us about that. It seems in their time the Jedi Order and Republic have both fallen. Now only a evil Empire exists with Palpatine at its helm.”</p><p>The shock stayed on their faces while they rapidly digested the information. <br/><br/></p><p>“They admitted that they don’t really know what happened as they were born a few years after the fall. But they do know that Palpatine was not only the leader of the Empire but they one who reorganized the Republic into one.” Anakin crossed his arms. “I think we should allow them to work with us. That way we can keep an eye on them and one of them is definitely Force Sensitive. We should also just see how Force sensitive they are.” <br/><br/></p><p>Several minutes passed before the council decided to go with Anakin’s idea. “We can keep an eye on them and even help them. Keep them together for the most part but when they do split make sure they are always with either the 212th or the 501st.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yes master’s. We have an attack to plan so we’ll take our leave.” Obi-Wan and Anakin gave a bow before ending the call. “Let’s go tell them.” <br/><br/>When they spotted their ship it was still an impressive sight. With its sleek body and the tank cannon jutting out from the chin turret gave the ship and unmistakable look.</p><p>They made their way to the lowered main ramp before pausing. If what they said was true this was probably a lot more than just a ship. It was most likely their home. Anakin simply decided the bang on the side of the interior of the ship with his metal hand a few times. </p><p>                     | . . . \ . . . / . . . |</p><p>Layla was washing the plates they had been using while Zosa sat at the table setting up a list of ever single detail they could think of that could have something to do with the fall of the Republic and Jedi. They had decided rather quickly that the so called Jedi code had a major part to play in the fall of their order. <br/><br/></p><p>Layla and Zosa paused when they heard a faint banging coming from where the main ramp into the ship is. <br/><br/></p><p>They both paused and looked up as at each other. Zosa got up to bring them into the common room. Layla stayed behind and continued to clean dishes. She had forgotten to do the morning dishes as well as the ones from the night before. </p><p>                      | . . . \ . . . / . . . |</p><p>Anakin looked up the ramp when he heard soft footsteps coming from ahead of him. He watched as Zosa appeared at the top of the ramp before spotting them standing on the ramp at the edge of the hull. <br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, follow me.” Zosa turned and went back further into the ship with Anakin and Obi-Wan following her.</p><p>They followed her into a large common room where Layla was at the sink doing dishes still. <br/><br/></p><p>Zosa motioned for them to sit down before turning to Layla. “You know, if you had done those the night before you wouldn’t be doing them now.”</p><p>Layla looked at her with a smirk. “I didn’t hear any complaints from you last night.”</p><p>“LAYLA!” Zosa’s stripes on her lekku darkens as did her cheeks. All she got in response was laughter. <br/><br/></p><p>Anakin and Obi-Wan glanced at each other. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright what did your leaders say?” Layla asked while still snickering as Zosa swatted her on the arm. <br/><br/></p><p>“They along with us decided that it would be best if you work with Anakin and Myself. Or if we aren’t around our legions. Also we would like to know just how sensitive you are to the Force.” Obi-Wan stated diplomatically.</p><p>Layla started today each for her blaster but caught herself. She could see the wary looks in their eyes. “Sorry, old habits. Being found out that you’re a Force Sensitive is bad for your health. Most of the time it’s fatal. But that sounds fair. What do you think Zo?”</p><p>“It makes sense to me. I just think we should be careful. We have already decided on one thing that won’t be easy to change but definitely lead to the fall.”</p><p>“It’s your Jedi Code. Demanding that by a kind, sympathetic and compassionate being isn’t bad unless your also telling them to be an unfeeling droid because emotions are bad. I understand the reluctance to attachments. Yes they can make you do horrible things but they also keep us grounded and give us a reason to try that much harder. You must change the attachment rule at least.” Layla came over and sat down across from them. <br/><br/></p><p>Obi-Wan and Anakin while used to the code forbidding attachments knew that they had a very real and solid point. It hit them at the same time that that part of the code was blinding and handicapping the Jedi.</p><p>“How much do you know about the force?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>“All I know is from the couple of Holocrons I have. I’m mostly self taught about not only the Force but the styles of combat for using a lightsaber.” She took in the look on their faces before sighing. “I got them from the one and only time I broke into the abandoned, ruined and off limits by decree of the Empire, Jedi temple on Coruscant. That’s where I found the lightsaber that called to me along with my holocrons.”</p><p>“May I see the saber?” Obi-Wan asked.</p><p>Layla stayed out for a few seconds before giving a small nod. She got up to grab her bag where the saber was kept. <br/><br/>Zosa watched her go before looking at Anakin. “How exactly does one test someone’s sensitivity to the Force?” <br/><br/></p><p>“A drop of blood. We test it for the amount of midi-chlorians in the cells.” He responded. <br/><br/></p><p>Layla returned with a single saber in her hand. It had an engraved hilt covered is soft swirls covering it with the head of it where the emitter is had four small prongs sticking out of it. The entire saber itself was 8 inches long. She handed the saber to Obi-Wan. <br/><br/></p><p>He gently took it from her and turned it over in his hands. It was old. Hidden in it the soft patterns was the symbol of a gray Jedi. It was clearly taken care of. He got up and gently thumbed it on. The saber came to life with a snap-hiss. The black-cyan blade extended out of the saber and gave a gentle hum. The blade itself was unique yet Obi-Wan could feel that it had bonded with Layla. It was her crystal inside and her Saber. He shut it off and handed it back to her. “Do you know how to wield it?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I can handle myself.” Was the sure reply from Layla. She definitely knew how to use it. She hadn’t meant to run in to the three inquisitors that she had eventually killed. They definitely taught her quite a bit along with the holocrons. She was entirely self taught and confident in her ability with it. <br/><br/></p><p>Obi-Wan decided not to say anything about that. “Well in 7 hours meet us in the main command center. We’ll go over the briefing then. But I would like it if your early so we can explain this to the men.” He said as he got up along with Anakin. <br/><br/></p><p>“We’ll be there.” <br/><br/></p><p>Obi-Wan left but Anakin stayed. “What can you tell me about your ship?” His eyes were filled with eager curiosity to learn about such a unique vessel.</p><p>“It’s original purpose was to be a heavily armed blockade runner. It was designed to fly at high speeds with high maneuverability into combat zones and make air drops. It’s entire purpose was a combat role freighter to enter through force, defend itself or attack points of significant resistance all while unloading troops or supplies. It would come in during combat and air drop supplies. That’s why it has a larger aft cargo bay with doors made for those kinds of drops. I thought it lacked the necessary fire power so I replaced everything on the chin turret with what it had mounted there now and I did the ones on the side of the aft cargo bay. I modified its hyperdrive too along with its armor and shields.” She had a proud smile on her face.<br/><br/></p><p>Anakin looked around the ship in wonder. It was truly powerful. He knew that the moment he saw its armament. This ship was a force to be reckoning with. “What about is engines?”</p><p>“Other than a few tweaks her and there to get way more power out of them.”</p><p>“I should take my leave.” Anakin nodded before turning around to leaving himself. He got feeling that there was more to this ships part in Layla’s story then she was letting on.</p><p>Layla looked at Zosa. “Well now all we have to do is find the briefing room in a few hours.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you going to take your lightsaber?”</p><p>“I’d honestly rather not but it might come in handy. I’ll probably just sticking to using my blaster.” <br/><br/></p><p>                     | . . . \ . . . / . . . |</p><p>Layla grabbed her gear and put it back on while she tucked her helmet under her arm. Zosa followed her back down the ramp of the Kaiser. Her blaster firmly in her hands. “I’m going to go with Kenobi.”</p><p>“Alright I’ll go with Skywalker then.” Layla said as she shut the ramp and locked her ship. <br/><br/></p><p>“How are you doing with all of this?”</p><p>“Honestly, I’m terrified. I don’t like this at all. I don’t know them but the only way to stop the Empire is to work with them. So I’m pulling a page from your book. Take a leap of faith.” Layla fidgeted with her helmet but kept on marching ahead with Zosa right behind her.</p><p>It didn’t take them long to reach the command center and they found Obi-Wan and Anakin already there. With them were two clones. One in an orange-gold color while the other was in blue. </p><p>“Alright before we leave since we need time to set up these two will be working with not only Anakin and myself but also with the 212th and the 501st.” The two clones shared a glance with each other. “This is Layla...” Obi-Wan pointed at the human with the ARC trooper helmet tucked under her arm “and that is Zosa.” He then pointed at the togruta. “What I will tell you next is true, the Force does not lie. They are from the future. You will be seeing a lot more of them as they work to stop the evil that holds the galaxy from their time from ever happening.” <br/><br/></p><p>Anakin leaned over the holotable and punched in a few commands. “Alright. Here’s the plan. Wes re going to ambush the droids from the tops of these two connected towers.” He pointed at two towers. “We need to get going so grab your men and head to gunships.” <br/><br/></p><p>The two clones straightened out to attention then left to gather their men. <br/><br/>“Let’s get started.” Layla turned and followed Anakin to the gunships. She looked at Zosa who gave her a small smile and followed Obi-Wan to a separate gunship. Layla pulled her helmet on as she walked over to where Anakin was standing next to a gunship talking to a pilot.  <br/><br/>She leaned up against the back of the gunship’s doors as she watched the clones approaching them. How she had mistook them for storm troopers was beyond her. There was a clear difference in their armor. Only one trooper was shorter than the others. But to her as she opened herself to the Force could easily tell them apart. All she needed now was to know their names.</p><p>They loaded up onto the gunship and Layla followed them. Anakin was the last one on board. <br/><br/></p><p>She grabbed a handle above her head as the gunship took off. She looked over at the clone in blue next to her. “I never did catch your name.” She tapped him on his shoulder. <br/><br/></p><p>Rex looked over to where he felt someone tap his shoulder as he heard a feminine voice ask for his name. “It CT-...” he didn’t get much farther than that as she cut him off with a frown. <br/><br/></p><p>“I said your name.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Rex, Captain Rex.” He told her. </p><p>“Well met Rex, I’m Layla Orsord.” <br/><br/></p><p>He was confused by her. The only other non-clones he had meet that asked for his name, actual name and didn’t mean his number were General Skywalker and General Kenobi. <br/><br/></p><p>The gunship dropped them off at the North tower. They quickly jumped off and made it to a couple of floors higher than the 212th in the South tower. They wouldn’t be using light cannons like the north tower. <br/><br/></p><p>“Catch the droids in a cross fire?” Layla asked as she walked up to Rex. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s the plan.” He grunted. He wasn’t sure they could rely on her. He would just have to see when the fighting started. <br/><br/></p><p>One of the clones came up to Layla as digging through her bag to reach her lightsaber. She knew how to use it but she preferred her blaster. She looked up when she spotted the smaller clone from before. </p><p>“I just wanted to thank you for the help with the droids earlier today.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Your welcome ...”</p><p>“CT-1868.” Layla didn’t say anything but just stared at them.</p><p>“Your actual name. I refuse to call you by your number.”</p><p>“Flux. My name is Flux.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Well Flux, I’m Layla Orsord but just call me Layla.” She looked back down into her bag before grabbing the saber out of the bottom. She clipped it onto her belt.</p><p>“You’re a Jedi?” Flux asked.</p><p>“I guess in a way I am, but not one that was ever in the Jedi Order.” Layla stood up as she pulled off her helmet. They would see the droids coming. <br/><br/></p><p>“What’s with the blaster? It doesn’t look like any blaster I’ve seen.”</p><p>“That’s because it’s custom. It’s made from part of another broken blaster that was the same model. I simply extended the barrel of this one using the broken one and then added a butt stock. It gives it better armor penetration at range.” Layla said as she moved to the window. </p><p>She glanced over at Anakin as he answered his com. She could hear him talking to Obi-Wan but paid him no mind. That soon changed when the Force blared a warning at her. She could feel Zosa’s surprise. <em>They’re onto us!</em> Zosa shouted at her over their bond.</p><p>She out her helmet on and cocked her blaster right as Anakin got off his comm. </p><p>“South tower? Sir we’re in the North.” Rex told him.</p><p>“Not for long Rex.” Anakin cut a x into the window in front of him before blasting it out with the Force. “Rex, fire your cables!”</p><p>Layla tucked her blaster onto the side of her pack as she grabbed her saber. She watched the clone Captain pull on his helmet as they followed Anakin who leaped out the window. He grabbed it with his right hand which she immediately knew that by this action alone meant it was a mechanical hand much like her own left hand.</p><p>They all followed him but the droids noticed them and fired upon them. One bolt hit a trooper cashing him to lose his grip and he fell. Thinking fast Layla out her saber up and reached out with the Force. She wrapped it around him before throwing him back up at the edge of the window that Anakin had just shattered with his foot.</p><p>Once she leaned herself she pulled him up. “You were almost crow food.” She grinned underneath her helmet as she smacked her hand onto the trooper’s shoulder. She pulled her pack off and handed him a spare E-11 blaster she had stolen recently from the Imperials. “Keep it.” <br/><br/></p><p>She raced off as she pulled her own rifle off her pack. She fired at the droids with the rest of the clones. <br/><br/></p><p>Zosa ran up to her side as she fired her own blaster at the droids. “Got to give to those Imps, they sure know how to make a good blaster.” <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s ones new.” Layla said while dodging a bolt before dispatching the droid that fired it. “Where’d you get it?”</p><p>“Shore trooper. Took it from one when we rescued Rouge One on Scarif.” Zosa nailed three droids in rapid succession with headshots just before she watched Obi-Wan use the Force to throw a light cannon at the droids. <br/><br/>“That’s one way to delay them.” Layla shouted as they ran into a large lift. <br/><br/></p><p>Once they reached the top of the tower they took off towards a landing platform. Only the gunship wasn’t there yet. <br/><br/></p><p>But the droids soon were. They started to come out from the very lifts they just used. It was only now that Layla and Zosa realized they were completely surrounded. <br/><br/></p><p>Zosa ran behind cover and fired upon the droids across from Cody and Rex. Layla in the other hand put up her rifle and joined the fray with her own lightsaber. It’s black-cyan blade came to life with a snap hiss. She gave a running leap high into a group of droids. <br/><br/></p><p>Zosa called out the gunship as they started to regroup in front of the landing pad. Layla continued to fight with Anakin and Obi-Wan. But a stay bolt hurled towards a trooper and slammed into his back. He gave a short cry and collapsed. Layla gritted her teeth as she sheathed her blade and switched back to her blaster. <br/><br/></p><p>She watched as a single trooper darted back out of the gunship and ran up to the tactical droid at the front of all the droids. The trooper ripped its head off before running back into the gunship. He handed the head to Rex.</p><p>“Maybe this tactical droid will tell us how they knew our plan.”</p><p>“It’s worth a shot.” Zosa said agreeing with Rex. She glanced at Layla whose helmet seemed to be glaring daggers at the droid. She had a feeling that there was more to it than that. The rest of the trip back to the base was spent in silence. Though at one point she saw Anakin quietly talking to a trooper.</p><p>Once they landed back at base they followed Rex and Cody into the command center. Layla leaned up against one of the nearby screens while Zosa stood in between Rex and Cody. <br/><br/></p><p>A silver and blue Astromech came rolling over to them right after Rex hooked up a pair of cables to the droids head.</p><p>Zosa frowned as the droid told them exactly where the Republic was and on what floors. That was to accurate. She glanced at Layla who was now walking towards them. “It just doesn’t make sense.” Rex thought aloud. The droid fizzled before smoke came out of the back of its head and it died.</p><p>“Blast!” Rex leaned over the holotable before straightening back out. Next to him Layla crossed her arms. <br/><br/></p><p>They all turned when the doors opened as Anakin and Obi-Wan walked in. “We’ll at least we aren’t the only ones having a bad day.” Anakin said in lieu of a greeting.</p><p>“I was hoping that the droid would have more information than just simply having ours.” Layla grumbled quietly.</p><p>“Generals.” Rex moved further along the table and closer to Cody. <br/><br/></p><p>“They had all our intel.” Cody told them. <br/><br/></p><p>Anakin crossed his arms. “How could we have left ourselves so vulnerable to a security breach?”</p><p>“I don’t think we did.” Obi-Wan spun around as he walked back to the holotable and away from a nearby screen.</p><p>“You think someone infiltrated our defenses?”</p><p>“No offense but I think it’s more like someone <em>gave</em> them that intel.” Zosa said leaning up against the holotable, arms crossed.</p><p>“A spy, Sir?” Cody’s tone had disbelief in it. “But who would want to betray our men to the Seppie’s?”</p><p>“That is the question isn’t it?” Layla said as she came to stand by Zosa.</p><p>“I think it’s time we pay a visit behind enemy lines. I think we’ll find our answers there.” Obi-Wan stroked his beard. <br/><br/></p><p>“We’ll get right on it.” Cody said.</p><p>“No Commander. I need you to find the security breach.”</p><p>“You can count on us Sir.”</p><p>“We can stay here and help them. Along with our plan to stop the Empire.” The two Jedi nodded their agreement with their idea.</p><p>“Another thing, this mission is extremely confidential. The spy could be anyone, let no-one know of our plan.”</p><p>Rex walked over so that he was standing next to Cody. “Understood, Sir.”</p><p>Anakin and Obi-Wan both nodded before turning and walking out.</p><p>Zosa watched them walk out as Rex moved around the holotable and towards the door.</p><p>Layla who still hadn’t taken off her helmet noticed a beeping comlink. And if the surprised look on Cody’s face was anything to go so did he. <em>That’s a problem. </em>Layla told Zosa over the bond.</p><p><em>What is? </em>She heard Zosa’s voice over their bond.</p><p><em>An active comlink, left right where whoever was using the one connected to it would hear everything. </em>Layla looked over to Zosa who gave an irritated huff. <br/><br/></p><p><em>Lovely. </em>Was all Zosa said into their bond. <br/><br/></p><p>“...Listening to everything we said.” She fought Cody telling Rex who then shouted down the hall. Cody took off after him followed by herself with Zosa right behind her.</p><p>“Who’s that?” One of them asked as they chased the unknown person down the hall. <br/><br/></p><p>“We’ll follow him, you two take the west corridor!” Cody told them as the came to an enter section in the halls. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m on it!” Rex responded as he and Layla went right while Cody and Zosa went left. <br/><br/></p><p>Zosa was just ahead of Cody when they both stopped. Just across from them was Rex and Layla with blasters drawn. Their hands went up and their blasters lowered. <br/><br/></p><p>“He must have gone in the mess hall.” Cody stated as he and Rex walked in after opening the door.  He could faintly hear Zosa say “So that’s where it’s at.” <br/><br/></p><p>“We’ll stay out here.” Layla told them. <br/><br/></p><p>Cody and Rex both walked into the mess hall only to find nothing but their brothers. “We have a big problem.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, Everyone in here are brothers.” Rex said his face betraying nothing. <br/><br/></p><p>Rex was fuming by the time they got back to the command center. “One of us? Great but which one?!” He growled. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know but we should keep this quiet. We don’t what him to know we’re on to him. Let him make his move, then we make ours.” Layla told them crossing her arms. <br/><br/></p><p>Cody looked at her. “Had to deal with things like this before?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Better contact the Jedi.” Rex said.</p><p>Cody began to walk over to a console to com them. He tried to contact them but couldn’t get through. <br/><br/></p><p>Rex walked over with Zosa behind him as Layla stood behind her. “Whoever it is has blocked our communications. We’re going to have to find this guy ourselves.”</p><p>“Joy.” Layla deadpanned. “I hate spy’s.” She grumbled. </p><p>“As long as it’s not like the Coruscant job.” Zo said as she leaned against Layla who groaned at the mention of said job. <br/><br/></p><p>“Please do not jinx us.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Artoo, come plug in.” Res said as he waved the silver and blue Astromech towards him.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Cody was curious as to what Rex was up to.</p><p>“Well he had to get his message out there somehow. We just have to find them.”</p><p>“What do you think he sat down and wrote a note?”</p><p>They moved over to the holotable with a data pad. Layla on the hand painted an accusing finger at Zosa. “You jinxed it!” <br/><br/></p><p>“What?! I did not!” Zosa exclaimed.</p><p>“Yes, you did. You mentioned That job!”</p><p>Zosa decided to be the bigger person and stuck her tongue out at Layla.</p><p>Rex glanced at them as Layla decided to take off her helmet. “Artoo found something.” <br/><br/></p><p>“What is it? Is it the traitor?” Cody asked walking closer to Rex as Layla and Zosa came up from the other side.</p><p>“I’m not sure.” Res said as he kept the data pad where they all could see it.</p><p>“What’s he looking for?” Zosa asked. </p><p>“Wave length, interference. Irregular, spotty. See it come and goes every few days. Day to day you wouldn’t notice it.” <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s it. The pattern is the key.”</p><p>Rex and Cody looked at Zosa. “We had to hunt down turncoats in the rebellion against the Empire a couple of times before and this was often how it looked when they sent their messages. Where is it coming from?”</p><p>“It’s only coming from one terminal in the whole base. Take a look.” He handed the data pad to Cody. <br/><br/></p><p>“Slick’s barracks. Only Slick’s men would have access to that terminal.”</p><p>“Yeah, Slick’s not gonna like that.”</p><p>“No he won’t. But if one of his men is giving away our intel, then we have to find him and sort this out.” Cody caught the shared glance between Layla and Zosa. “What?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Well it’s just I don’t think it was one of his men but maybe him himself. But I’ll leave you to it. I want to check on that solider I caught earlier from falling to his death.” Layla told them. </p><p>They nodded as she turned and made her way towards the Medbay. <br/><br/></p><p>Rex and Cody turned to call all of Slick’s men to their barracks with Slick himself. They were getting to the bottom of this. Now. “We should get there before the rest of his men. Whoever the traitor is we don’t want them to have time for a cover story.”</p><p>“You should be prepared to face the fact that it might not be one of his men but Slick himself.” Zosa told them as she walked in between them. <br/><br/></p><p>It didn’t take them long to reach Slick’s barracks. Zosa wondered around looking at the barracks as Rex and Cody talked to Slick. She turned when she heard the doors open and watched the men file in. <br/><br/></p><p>They lined up at attention. “I don think that’s necessary. Your men are tough right?” Cody asked rhetorically. “Take a seat gentlemen. We have a turncoat in our midst and we think it’s one of you.”</p><p>The troopers glanced at each other, Cody and Rex along with Zosa with shock. Zosa knew she wasn’t the best at these kinds of situations. She could always use the experience. <br/><br/></p><p>The first clone whose name was Jester was clearly nervous. “I don’t know Sir, I do the things I always do after a mission.”</p><p>“Like what?” Zosa asked before flushing a little. Layla often teased her about being overly curious. She hoped Rex and Cody didn’t mind. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry Sir, it’s just, in a little nervous. You’re my C.O.”</p><p>“The way is see it, you tell the truth you have nothing to be nervous about.” Rex said as he returned to crossing his arms.</p><p>Another clone from behind them spoke up. “Jester is telling the truth Sir. He claimed his weapon after every mission. First thing, every time. He’s kinda obsessed that way.”</p><p>“Is that right you were cleaning your weapon?” Cody asked him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yes sir.”</p><p>“Go on the computer while you were in here?” Cody’s voice now had a hard edge to it.</p><p>“No Sir, didn’t even power it up. You can check.” Jester said </p><p>Rex and Cody looked at each other before looking at Zosa. She wasn’t entirely sure why they were looking at her but she nodded at them. <br/><br/></p><p>Cody nodded at Rex. “Show me your weapon.” <br/><br/></p><p>Jester handed him his DC-15S. Cody took it from his hands. “Yep freshly scrubbed.” He said as Rex watched over his shoulder and Zosa from his other shoulder. Cody handed him back his blaster. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rag’s over there in the corner.”</p><p>“Good man Jester.” <br/><br/></p><p><em>I found the trooper. He said that I inspired his name. Which is crow. Because I told him he was almost crow food.</em> <br/><br/></p><p>Zosa ignored Layla in her mind as she listened to them ask two different trooper where they went. “Sketch Sir.”</p><p>“We got our grub at the same time and sat down together.” Sketch told them. <br/><br/></p><p>“Anyone able to confirm that?” Zosa asked as Rex walked to the other side of them with his arms crossed behind his back. <br/><br/></p><p>“Loads of people sir, you can ask anyone.”</p><p>“Oh we will.”</p><p>“Sir just give me a moment with them.” Slick tried again. Zosa narrowed her eyes at him something only Rex and Cody noticed. She had a bad feeling about him.</p><p>“No don’t worry Sarge, I got nothing to hide. Got banged up pretty bad by one of those clankers. Med droid was fixing me up. Doc’s got all the records there.” Cody inspected the dressed wound before nodding at Rex .</p><p>Rex stopped in front of a clone with a single grey eye and scars on the side of his face and head. <br/><br/></p><p>“Chopper ol boy. What’s your alibi?” Rex asked.</p><p>“I was in the mess hall.” He said casually without looking at them. Zosa knew he was hiding something but what she couldn’t say. </p><p>“No you weren’t!” The trooper called Sketch said as he shot up from his seat. Sketch then seemed to back peddle as he stuttered. <br/><br/></p><p>“If you know something kid then you need to speak up.”</p><p>“Chopper came in a lot later. After everyone else.” He admitted. <br/><br/></p><p>Chopper had a panicked look on his face before it changed to resigned. </p><p>“Where were did you go before the mess hall?” Rex asked.</p><p>“Nowhere. I was walking around.” He said with a shrug.</p><p>“Son we are going to need a better answer than that.” Cody sighed. </p><p>“I was hiding by the south exit. I didn’t want anyone seeing me stringing these together.” In his hand was a cord with three battle droid fingers on it.</p><p>“Battle droid fingers.” Rex said as he looked at them before glancing at Cody. <br/><br/></p><p>“I guess I just wanted something back. I just felt like they owed me.” His fist clenched as he leaned back on his bed. <br/><br/></p><p>“I always knew there was something deficient about you.” The one with the bandaged snarled.</p><p>Zosa wasn’t sure why they were forbidden as Slick walked closer to him. She thought calling someone deficient was definitely harsh as her back went ridged. It reminded her too much of what Layla had broken her out of. She had those exact same words before but never towards her. She was brought if her thoughts by Chopper protesting against being a spy. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. We’ll get you a proper investigation til the Jedi come back and talk to you.”</p><p>Zosa narrowed her eyes and shared a glance with Rex and Cody as Chopper relentlessly questioned Slick. The fact he pointed out he saw him heading towards the command center  along with his slip of mentioning the Jedi were gone was all she needed to be convinced it was Slick.</p><p>“Sergeant, what did you mean til the Jedi come back? How did you know the Jedi were gone?” Cody asked as they all cornered Slick and gave him a glare.</p><p>“I really wished you hadn’t noticed that Sir.” Slick punched Cody before he could react before elbowing Chopper in the face. Rex caught Cody as he knocked both him and Zosa off balance.</p><p>Slick dove over the bed Chopper had been on before rolling and running out the door. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s Slick?! Slick’s the traitor?!” Cody exclaimed as he Rex and Zosa began to take off after Slick.</p><p>They ran off after him as Rex tracked him. “I’ve got someone by the gunships!” Rex called out to Cody who was on the other side of a walker with Zosa.</p><p>“That’s our Slick.” Cody said as he ran over to Rex. <br/><br/></p><p>“Wait!” Zosa cried out but they didn’t seem to hear her as they took off. She had a bad feeling about this. “Wait!” She shouted at them as they darted around a gunship.</p><p>The explosions that followed after they came running back out from behind it made her realize her last second thought about it being a trap came true. Layla had often mentioned that the best way for a spy to escape was after blowing something up after being exposed.</p><p> </p><p>She caught up to Rex just as some of Slick’s men came up and pointed out they saw him run into the command center. The three of them went running after him.</p><p>Once they were in the command center Zosa tuned them out in the powerless command center. She saw Cody place his blaster on the holotable in a certain way and caught into his plan as Rex said he would head to the south exit with herself. </p><p>She followed him out of the command center and hid behind the door. <br/><br/></p><p>When the re entered the room Slick was there behind Cody with a blaster leveled at his head. “Know what’s funny traitor?” Rex said as he leveled his one men blaster at Slick’s head. “We knew you would never make a move for the exits when the were blocked.”</p><p>“I would have stayed here and open them up myself, just like you.”</p><p>“Never do a job til you guarantee the best odds. Right?” Rex shoved his blaster even closer to Slick’s face.</p><p>“You knew I was here.”</p><p>“Of course we did. You think we wouldn’t have a plan?”</p><p>“How could you betray them? They were your brothers.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not the traitor, you are!” Slick shouted as he lunged at Rex knocking him onto his back. He then slammed the blaster into Zosa’s gut driving the wind from her as she fell down trying to catch her breath.</p><p>Cody rushed forward but Slick knocked his blaster out of his hands and Cody spun around and slammed his elbow into Slick’s face. <br/><br/></p><p>Zosa was still trying to catch her breath as she  focused on her breathing ignoring Layla’s concerned voice in her mind. The spots soon faded from her vision as she saw Slick standing up from Rex on the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>Layla came bursting into the room and in a blink of an eye slammed her fist into Slick’s jaw with her left hand knocking him out. She hit him with enough force to lift him off the ground. She made her way over to Zosa was was trying to get up with short breaths as Cody helped Rex up. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well I guess you found the traitor.” Layla said dryly. Zosa rolled her eyes at Layla. <br/><br/></p><p>Soon afterwards the Jedi came back and meet them in the hall outside the command center as Rex walked Slick out in a pair of binders. <br/><br/></p><p>“Slick! You were the traitor.” Obi-wan said as he came to stand in front of them with Anakin behind him.</p><p>“He gave us a bit of a chase Sir.” Rex told the two Jedi Generals. “You couldn’t be a greater disappointment. How could you do this to your brothers?” Anakin asked. <br/><br/></p><p>Slick just scoffed. “Only a Jedi would ask that. It’s the Jedi how keep my brothers enslaved. We do your bidding. We serve at your whim. Only to die as nothing more than cannon fodder. I wanted something more.”</p><p>Zosa glanced at Layla who cleaned her fist. <br/><br/></p><p>“And all you had to do was put everyone here at risk.” Rex told him. <br/><br/></p><p>“I love my brother but your too blind to see it. I was striking a blow for all clones!”</p><p>“If you loved your brothers you wouldn’t have betrayed them. You were a major cause in their deaths.” Layla growled at him. <br/><br/></p><p>“You betrayed every single one of us. Take him to lock up.”  Cody told the two troopers waiting nearby. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well did you manage to salvage anything from the weapons depot?” Obi-Wan asked as he stroked his beard. <br/><br/></p><p>“Slick scorched the whole thing basically.” Zosa told them from where she stood by Cody. <br/><br/></p><p>“We managed to save the heavy cannons though.” Cody added. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well that good because there’s about a 1000 battle droids on their way here.” <br/><br/></p><p>“The fight goes on gentlemen.” Anakin said before they both walked off. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well this should be fun.” Layla voiced. </p>
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